Support means for a plurality of horizontal bars



Sept. 7, 1965 E. R. PETERSON 3,204,904

SUPPORT MEANS FOR A PLURALITY 0F HORIZONTAL BARS Filed July 2, 1963 FIG.I

INVENTOR ERIC RONALD PETERSON 5 zz/a /4 FIG. 2'

United States Patent 3,204,904 SUPPORT MEANS FOR A PLURALITY 0FHORIZONTAL BARS Eric R. Peterson, 23 Miller Sh, Staten Island, N.Y.Filed July 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,272 9 Claims. (Cl. 248-125) Thisinvention relates to apparatus to facilitate the insertion of Spacerbars into a pallet loaded with a stack of paper to be cut, and moreparticularly to such apparatus having vertically adjustable means tolift and support said spacer bars.

Paper mills commonly ship pallets or skids of paper having typicaldimensions of 53 inches by 78 inches by 36 inches high. A load of paperthis size would weigh in the order of 4000 pounds. The paper housereceiving the skid load from the mill may cut the sheets again to asmaller size for shipment to the printer or the printing plant may cutits own sheet.

Generally, a stack 53 inches by 78 inches by 6 inches high and weighingapproximately 650 pounds, may be cut by a single stroke of a standardcutting machine. In many instances, the height of the stack to be cut isde lineated by transverse spacer bars inserted into the stack atsuitable intervals. Typical apparatus utilizing this mode of operationis described and illustrated in my copending application for a MultipleSheet Handling Device, filed April 17, 1963, and assigned Serial No.276,- 116.

As described therein, the spacer bars are inserted transversely into theleading edge of the stack at suitable intervals, such as indicated byream markers. When fully inserted, the bars are adapted to overhang eachside of the stack. It should be understood that ream spacing is usedonly by way by example and that other more convenient spacing may be andare used.

The insertion of the topmost bar is relatively easy since only theleading edge of a 6-inch height of paper must be lifted. However, itwill be appreciated that as the successively lower bars are inserted,the task becomes increasingly difficult. In addition, as greater heightsof paper are manipulated, there is the danger of moving the edges out ofvertical alignment. Should the stack be shifted, then succeeding cuttingoperations will not be accurate and will result in wastage of stock.Concurrent with costliness of such wastage is increased operator fatigueand the resultant lowering of efiiciency of plant personnel.

The present invention is adapted to support the spacer bar at itsoverhanging end portions after each bar has been inserted. Moreover,each bar is maintained slightly elevated relative to its normal positionduring the insertion of subsequent lower bars so that the leading edgeof the paper above the last inserted bar is not resting on the remainderof the stack. Thus, only the leading edge of the next successive layerdownward, say, the thickness of a single ream of paper, need be liftedin order to insert the next spacer bar.

By this means, each layer of the desired height may be marked with aspacer bar and supported above the remaining paper in the stack. Theintervals are thereby marked as accurately and as frequently as requiredand the danger of disrupting the stack during bar insertion is averted.It will be appreciated that lifting only the leading edge of a 650-poundstack may be done with greater ease than lifting the leading edge of a4000-pound stack, as would be required to insert the lowermost bar.Without the present invention, the bars were forced into the stack toavoid having to lift excessive weights.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provideapparatus that will support a plurality of spacer bars subsequent totheir insertion.

"ice

It is another object to provide apparatus that will support a pluralityof spacer bars in an elevated position with respect to the leading edgeof the remaining stack of paper.

Still another object is to support said spacer bars in an elevatedposition, said support'being provided on either side of the stack ofpaper.

An additional object is to provide mobile apparatus that may be broughtto the stack of paper and be removed after the spacer bars are inserted.

A further object is to provide spacer bar support apparatus that isinexpensive to fabricate and easy to use.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will, inpart, be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunctionwith the appended drawing.

In the various figures of the drawing, like reference characters denotelike parts.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view in section taken along line 22 of FIG.1, with the stack of paper and the spacer bar omitted for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the adjustable spacer bar support means ofthe present invention with a portion broken away to show the positionretaining means.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an alernative embodiment of theadjustable support means for the present invention illustratingdifferent position retaining means.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the bar support structure is-generallyindicated by the reference character 10 and is comprised of a pair ofspaced, vertically standing columns 12. Carriage 14 which is providedwith rollers or casters 16 supports the columns and permits the movementof the apparatus within the plan-t. Structural members 18a, 18b and 18care included to assure rigidity of the entire apparatus.

Columns 12 may be, as shown in the drawing, in the form of an I-beam oran H-beam, having a web portion 12a and at least one flange portion 12b.Other configurations may also be employed providing that the spacer barsupport means to be described hereinafter may be adjustably positionedthereon. Advantageously, the columns are steel and are welded tocarriage 14. The structural members are also steel and are welded to thecolumns and the carriage. Bar support members 22 are adapted to slidevertically on columns 12 and are'guided thereon by one of the flanges1212, as shown in FIG. 2.

As may be seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, body portion 24 of bar support 22is hollow and rectangular in shape having side walls 26 and 28 and endwalls 30 and 32. Wall I 32 is provided with a central slot 34 extendingbetween the top and bottom open ends of body portion 24, said slot beingsubstantially the same width as web portion 12a of channel member 12.Slot 34 is adapted to slide on web 12a and be guided thereby. The insidedimension between walls 30 and 32 is greater than the thickness of web121;, the purpose of which will be brought out'hereinafter. I

Bar support member 22 is provided with a horizontal extension 36depending outwardly from and substantially at right angles to bodyportion 24. When the apparatus is in use, extension 36 projects past theleading edge L of the stack of paper in the direction away from supportstructure 10. Columns 12 are positioned proximate to and on either sideof the stack of paper loaded on skid or pallet P so that support members22 slidably positioned thereon are similarly disposed. Therefore,support member extensions 36 will be positioned in the areas occupied bythe spacer bar end portions when the spacer bars are inserted.

In body portion 24, there is further provided position holding meanscomprising a pair of studs 42 which pass through wall 30 so that theends opposite the heads thereof are proximate the outside surface offlange 12b.

In order to use the apparatus of the present invention, the operatormanually inserts a spacer bar S at the topmost desired level which maybe noted by a ream marker R. Bar S is inserted such that one leg isbetween two adjacent pieces of paper and so that the other leg of thespacer bar, perpendicular thereto, abuts the leading edge L of thestack. Bar 8 is adapted to overhang each side of the stack. For thispurpose, the spacer bars are some- What longer than the Width of the:stack. The leading edge L may now be dropped back onto the stack withthe spacer bar in place and the topmost bar supports 22, on eachvertical column 12, are then manually raised to engage and lift thespacer bar at its overhanging ends. Because body portion 24 of the barsupport fits loosely on flange 12b of the column, and because the weightof the paper and the spacer bar .is resting on extension 36 of barsupport member 22, a moment will be set up with flange portion 12b ofcolumn 12 as the fulcrum.

As a result of this clockwise moment, as denoted by arrow a in FIG. 1,studs 42 will engage flange surface 12b and prevent any downward motionof the bar support m mber 22, the spacer bar S, or the papersupportedthereon. The use of screws for the studs has been found to beadvantageous in that they are adjustable and may readily be replaced ifthey should become damaged or worn after protracted use.

An alternative to the use of studs 42 is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5wherein end wall 50 of body member '52 may be provided with an inwardlyturned flange 54 on its lower edge. Flange 54 will also engage flangesurface 12b when a moment is set up as hereinbefore described. Further,flange 54 may be serrated to provide one or more teeth to positivelyabut flange 12b and to prevent any downward slipping thereof.

The sequence of steps is repeated for each successively lower spacer baruntil insertion of all the desired spacer bars into the entire stack iscompleted. It should be noted that as each bar is being inserted, theonly paper that must be lifted is that layer immediately below the lastspacer bar above. All spacer bars above the one being inserted are heldelevated above the position they would normally assume in a stackreadyfor cutting. When all spacer bars are in place, the pallet islifted as by a fork lift truck for delivery to a utilization device suchas is shown in my copending application. The lifting motion of the truckreleases the overhanging ends of the spacer bars from extensions 36 ofthe bar support members.

While the welded channel construction shown is presently preferred, itwill be appreciated that standard tubular piping and mating fittings maybe employed within the teachings of the present invention to achieve anequivalent device. That is, a concentric cylindrical fitting may be usedto slide up and down a vertical tubular support.

The apparatus of the present invention is relatively inexpensive andsimple to fabricate, yet it is rugged and durable. The present inventionisa useful adjunct to paper cutting machinery in that it performs a taskthat was heretofore time consuming and tiring. The present invention ismobile and may be used in various work areas to insert spacer bars inseveral stacks so that a continuous supply of paper is available for thecutting apparatus.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiments of theinvention presently contemplated and it is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for the simultaneously and releasably support of aplurality of horizontal, transverse, spacer bars in a stack of papersheets wherein the ends of the spacer bars overhang each side of thestack comprising:

(A) at least two spaced vertical columns each having a smooth, singleplanar binding face, said columns adapted to be disposed proximate toand on either side of the stack of sheets; and

(B) at least two one-piece bar support members slidably disposed oneabove the other on each of said columns whereby said bar support membersengage the underside of the overhanging spacer bar ends during upwardtravel and are adapted to be an-gularly cocked in a plane perpendicularto the transverse position of the supported spacer bars for engagementwith said columns to prevent downward travel when supporting the spacerbars.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a mobile carriage adapted tosupport said columns.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bar support members are hollowand rectangular having a first inside dimension substantially the sameas the width of said vertical column and a second inside dimension atright angles to and in the same plane as said first inside dimension,said second inside dimension being larger than the width of saidvertical column.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said column is comprised of at leastone flange portion and a web portion connected to :said flange portionand wherein said support members are hollowand have a. slot therein, theslot being adapted to slidingly engage said web portion, the hollowportion having a dimension slightly greater than the thickness of saidflange portion.

5. The apparatus of claiml wherein said bar support member includes anextension thereto comprising a horizontal leg depending outwardly fromand substantially at right angles to said support member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including position holding means integralwith said bar support member, said posit-ion holding means adapted tomaintain said bar support member in engagement with the underside of theoverhanging spacer bar ends and in engagement with said columns wherebysaid bar support members are angularly disposed to said columns.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said position holding means arecomprised of at least one stud threadably engaged in ,said bar supportmember, whereby the ends opposite the head of said stud is proximatesaid column during the upward travel of said bar support member andwhereby the end opposite the head of said stud is adapted to abut saidcolumn when said bar support members are in engagement with theunderside of the overhanging spacer bar ends.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said position holding means iscomprised of an inwardly turned flange on the lower edge of said barsupport member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said inwardly turned flange includesa multi-toothed edge adapted to positively abut said columns.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 985,079 2/11Venard 248-246 1,276,677 8/18 Mittleburg 248-246 1,343,445 6/20 Gaiters248-221 1,686,993 10/28 Sutter 248246 2,316,892 4/43 Saul 248- 2,365,41012/44 Holmes 248-125 2,736,526 2/56 Forbes 248--125 2,765,136 10/56Knapp 248-246 3,066,665 12/62 Reilly 248125 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. APPARATUS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUSLY AND RELEASABLY SUPPORT OF APLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL, TRANSVERSE, SPACER BARS IN A STACK OF PAPERSHEETS WHEREIN THE ENDS OF THE SPACER BARS OVERHANG EACH SIDE OF THESTACK COMPRISING: (A) AT LEAST SPACED VERTICAL COLUMNS EACH HAVING ASMOOTH SINGLE PLANAR BINDING FACE, SAID COLUMNS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSEDPROXIMATE TO AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STRACK OF SHEETS; AND (B) ATLEAST ONE-PIECE BAR SUPPORT MEMBERS SLIDABLY DISPOSED ONE ABOVE THEOTHER ON EACH OF SAID COLUMNS WHEREBY SAID BAR SUPPORT MEMBERS ENGAGETHE UNDERSIDE OF THE OVERHANGING SPACER BAR ENDS DURING UPWARD TRAVELAND ARE ADAPTED TO BE ANGULARLY COCKED IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THETRANSVERSE POSITION OF THE SUPPORTED SPACER BARS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITHSAID COLUMNS TO PREVENT DOWNWARD TRAVEL WHEN SUPPORTING THE SPACER BARS.